Remember the Name
by d i n o b o t
Summary: Ash loses his memory in an accident. A bewildered yet determined Misty & Ash discover their mutual feelings for each other while trying to reclaim Ash's name, memory and life. Pokeshipping.
1. name the one lost

remember the name  
by – dinobot  
chapter 1 - "name the one lost"

"how will you know the love I especially hold dear for you when time and unforeseen occurrence are erasing us apart?" - dai

---

The Alakazam firmly established itself on the dusty path. It narrowed its eyes to its opponent. It tightly clutched the two spoons in its hands, pointing them to his foe's direction. It mumbled its name and sharply focused its energy. A shadowy lavender glow emitted from its eyes. The dark glow spread from its head to the spoons pressed firmly against one another. A psychic energy wave released from the two silver spoons and aimed towards a small yellow rodent.

"Pikachu, double team!" Ash commanded his pokemon.

Pikachu responded and focused itself. A string of Pikachu multiplied from its body as he made several mirages of himself. The defense tactic proved ineffective as the psychic wave reached him. The mirages vanished as Pikachu collided head on with the attack. Pikachu wailed in pain and flew back into the dusty road.

"Oh no, Pikachu!" Ash gasped. Pikachu struggled to regain his balance. He faced towards his opponent again.

"Ash, don't you know you can't evade psychic moves physically?" Misty told Ash. Ash turned back to Misty annoyed about her comment. He focused his attention back to the battle worried; Pikachu had taken a direct hit from a forceful attack.

"Oh--I forgot," Ash mumbled under his breath. Ash's defensive plan had failed.

"Pikachu, thundershock, now!" he yelled. Pikachu growled at his opponent generating sparks and electricity to discharge from its cheek. A bolt of electricity released from his yellow fur and shot to the Alakazam.

"Lightscreen," the opposing trainer commanded.

The Alakazam mumbled his name in response and focused its energy. An invisible light barrier appeared in front of him, protecting him from Pikachu's electrical attack. Pikachu completed his attack only to find it had been nullified.

"No," Ash muttered disappointedly to himself. Ash's frustration rose within him. He commanded Pikachu again.

"Pikachu again! Now!" he yelled at his pokemon. Pikachu discharged another bolt of lightning, only to be deflected by the barrier of the defending Alakazam. Ash commanded Pikachu again and again yielding the same futile results.

"Ash no, you're wasting his energy!" Brock warned. Brock was right. Pikachu's electricity had drained from his body, he fell to the ground depleted and exhausted. The other trainer grinned at his pending victory.

"Now Alakazam, before he attacks again. Amnesia!" he commanded forcefully.

Alakazam acknowledged and again focused his energy toward to weary opponent. A purple hue surrounded Alakazam and Pikachu. Pikachu floated in the air immobilized. Pikachu whimpered softly as Alakazam inhibited Pikachu's ability to recall any attack. Pikachu twitched and dropped to the floor.

"Pikachu, no! Quick attack! Dodge! Iron tail, anything!" Ash pleaded uselessly. Pikachu's couldn't recall any of his attacks. The opposing trainer commanded his pokemon for his final blow.

"Psybeam!"

"No!" Ash rushed to his pokemon's side. He picked Pikachu up and held the battered pokemon in his chest. "No more! I give up," he yelled. Ash looked into the battered countenance of his pokemon. Pikachu quivered in pain.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked. He tightly shut his eyes. His inability to properly command his pokemon and the battle cost him the victory and Pikachu's health. He sunk his head disappointedly.

Pikachu squirmed and twitched, still being affected by the amnesia attack. Confused and disoriented, he mistakenly discharged a bolt of electricity. The attack hit Ash, as he held the apprehended pokemon close.

Ash screamed in pain.

"Ash!" Misty and Brock yelled out running to him.

---

"Nurse Joy, what's wrong with him?" Misty asked. She looked at Ash unconscious in the bed. A mesh of wires flowed from his body connecting into narrow metal machines. The machinery 'beep-beep-beeped' to record and monitor Ash's heart rate.

Misty held herself. Her body shook uncomfortably. She despised how Ash looked in such a pitiful helpless condition. She shut her eyes tight trying to erase the image of the strong-minded boy she knew now reduced to a helpless patient. She rubbed her arms to chase the coldness away.

Nurse Joy looked at Ash's chart. She flipped the pages, scanning each line thoroughly. She sighed, dropping the clipboard to her side disappointingly. She looked into the frightened looks of Misty and Brock.

"It looks like--he's in some sort of a small coma,' Nurse Joy poorly concluded after gathering what little data she had.

"Are you sure? Is he going to be okay?" Misty demanded. She hated the fact Nurse Joy had to infer about Ash's condition. She wanted Ash back to the way he was. "Will he wake up?" Misty asked, shaken and concerned.

Nurse Joy shook her head. "It's too early to tell. Maybe if you two would tell me the events leading up to the accident I could better deduce his condition."

Misty shook her head, attempting to assemble the memory of the battle with the Alakazam. "I can't remember too much," she confessed. "With trying to help Ash, I didn't think--"

"—its okay, Misty" Brock consoled her. "Ash was battling a trainer with an Alakazam," he began to retell the account. "He wasn't doing well. Pikachu was exhausted and the trainer hit him with an amnesia attack."

"…and that's when Ash forfeited," Misty added.

"Amnesia," Nurse Joy said to herself under her breath. She looked over the last few pages of Ash's chart.

"What is it?" Misty asked.

"I'm not sure," Nurse Joy admitted.

Brock stood up and paced back and forth trying to relate the episode. His sneakers squealed against the cold tile of the center. "Ash ran to Pikachu," he began again. "Pikachu wasn't right. He must have been still affected by the amnesia attack. I guess in his confusion Pikachu discharged an electric attack when Ash was holding him."

Misty sat beside Ash's bed and looked into his torn battered face. She shivered.

"An electric catalyst?" Nurse Joy whispered to herself. She took her pen and scribbled a few marks onto Ash's papers. She looked up from her chart. "We're working on a treatment, but I must tell you our knowledge on his condition is extremely limited."

"What can I do?" Misty asked worriedly.

"There's really nothing you can do," Nurse Joy said.

"You don't expect me to just sit her waiting!" Misty shouted. Nurse Joy remained silent. No amount of shouting (even from Misty) would alter the situation. Misty sunk her head, and went back to the chair beside Ash's bed. She shook uneasily, burying her head into her hands.

"Nurse Joy, there must be something," Brock pleaded with the Nurse.

She sighed and walked over to Misty. She gently put a hand on her shoulder. Misty looked up. "There have been rare cases in which comatose patients responded to external stimuli. Aromas, touch, voices."

"So," Misty placed a hand on Ash's left arm. "Are you saying that if I talk to Ash, and surround him with familiar things I might bring him out of it?"

Nurse Joy slowly nodded, "Maybe."

Nurse Joy smiled unevenly and exited the room. Misty turned to Brock, and then back to Ash. Brock looked at his shoes awkwardly and headed towards the door.

"I'm going to check on Pikachu. Are you going to be okay?" Brock asked. He never received a response from her as he left the room.

A small tear rolled from Misty's cheek and onto Ash's arm. She tore her eyes from the unconscious helpless Ash and buried her face into his bed sheet. She waited after Brock to leave the room. Her words helplessly fell from her lips and were soaked by her hands.

"No," she finally answered. "How could I?"

---

Misty entered Ash's room, holding his backpack in her arms. Pikachu had already recovered from his most recent battle, and had fallen asleep at the foot of his trainer's bed. Brock had left the room after hours of talking to an unconscious Ash, and had temporality given up. He went to the cafeteria to prepare food for Misty, Pikachu, and himself. Misty took her seat loyally at Ash's side. She opened his bag and started to take items from it and place it on the table next to him. The table already had collect Ash's belongings Misty had placed orderly for Ash's rehabilitation. On the table lay a few pokeballs, a pokemon poster, his badges from the region and his pokedex.

"Here you go, Ash!" she smiled. She reached in and pulled out his pokemon league hat. She smiled and showed it to Ash, who was still unconscious. "It's your hat, you had to send in so many entry forms to win this. It's one of your favorite things to wear!"

She looked into his unprovoked response. "Well," she placed it with his other belongings, "I'm just going to place it with the other stuff." She reached into the bag again and pulled out a picture. She smiled.

"Look Ash," she showed Ash the picture. "It's us. You, Brock, your mom and I," she softly giggled and placed her hand softly on the glass frame. The picture had Ash's arm around Misty. The two were smiling without a trace of bickering, fear, or confusion. Misty longed to be enveloped in those surroundings again. She felt accepted, appreciated—loved.

She looked up from the picture, finding no change in Ash's condition. She let out a small sigh of disappointment. She placed the picture with the other belongings. Misty looked back to make sure no one was in the arch of the doorway, and made sure Pikachu was fast asleep. She took her hand and gracefully held Ash's. She gently kissed his arm.

"I don't know what to do," she confessed. "You always did though. Even though I called you dense at times, I know you're smart. You are smart," Misty peered into Ash's face. "You always knew what to do. You are a strong person—you are."

Misty breathed deeply, and cleared her throat. "The truth is Ash, I'm not strong. But I could always become strong at times because I had you," she gently caressed his arm. "And now," Misty could feel her tears building. "I don't know how to be strong, I don't know how to cope," she confessed.

She slightly laughed through her tears, "I don't even know if you're going to wake up again!" She wiped her cheek with her palm. She squeezed Ash's hand harder, trying to summon the strength he once possessed and she desperately needed. She rested her brow on his forearm. Her small tears escaped from the corners of her eyes and were soaked by the white cotton bed sheets. "I'd give anything to hear your voice again, to see your eyes again," she whispered softly. "If you never see me again, then how will you know how much you mean to me?"

Misty remained motionless, sobbing through her tears. She felt a warm hand placed on her hair. She abruptly raised her head up startled. Ash was sitting up; he blankly looked around in his unfamiliar surroundings and the teary eyed girl beside him.

"Nurse Joy! Brock!" Misty called into the hallway.

Brock and Nurse Joy's shoes squeaked on the tile floor as they ran towards the sound of their names. Nurse Joy's eyes widened to see Ash sitting upright and conscious. She grabbed Ash's clipboard and rapidly flipped though them. She looked at the machines, the papers, and back to Ash in disbelief. She reached for her stethoscope and placed it on Ash's back.

"Good job, Misty" she congratulated.

"Ash? Ash?" Misty sharply questioned him. Ash slid back, overwhelmed by the sudden emersion of unfamiliar sounds and images. He vacantly looked to his hands, and to Brock and Misty.

"Who's Ash?" he weakly responded.

Misty gasped to herself. Brock took the initiative. He walked to Misty and led her back to her chair. She let him guide her back, stricken in disbelief.

Nurse Joy shined a small flashlight in Ash's eyes. Ash winced at the blinding light and knocked the instrument away. Nurse Joy tried again, only to receive the same uncooperative response. He was frightened by it.

Misty stood up and asked for the light. Nurse Joy handed it to Misty. She took it and shut it on and off. Ash looked at the now harmless object. She featured it in her hands and dangled it back and forth to relieve any thought of apprehension.

"See," she told him. "It's just a light, it won't hurt you. Nurse Joy just wants to help you" she comforted him.

Ash's hands eased from grasping the bed sheet. He finally conformed and calmly nodded his head. Misty gave the light back to Nurse Joy who promptly shined the light in Ash's eyes and recorded her findings on her clip board. She looked to Misty, and smiled.

"Good job, Misty" she congratulated again. She turned to Ash, and gestured him to lie back on the bed. Ash reluctantly disobeyed, then sunk back. Nurse Joy traveled to the machines recording Ash's records. She looked from the clipboard to the machines. She tapped her pencil against her teeth, analyzing the recent data.

"Nurse?" Brock eagerly asked her. "Ash doesn't remember who he is."

"Yes, yes," she turned to Brock and Misty. "Our research pointed to Ash's trauma might lead to amnesia, but we were uncertain. This confirms it."

Misty looked to Ash, lying blankly on the center bed. She looked at her feet, tapping nervously on the tile floor. She swallowed her ruminating saliva in her and licked her dry lips. She hesitated a brief moment.

"Will he get his memory back?" she anxiously asked.

Nurse Joy shook her head disappointingly, "It's too early to tell, we need to run more tests and continue in our research. Misty sunk her head. Obviously this was not her desired answer. The uncertainty of the prognosis left her disoriented and uneasy. The lights of the room burned her, evaporating any ounce of strength she still possessed in her bones. She sighed.

Pikachu strolled into the room, unaware of his master's sudden recovery. He saw Ash awake and jumped with pleasure. The pokemon raced across the room and jumped into Ash's lap. The startled Ash Ketchum screamed and flailed his arms wildly trying to get Pikachu off him. Nurse Joy dropped her clipboard and ran over to Ash.

"Grab him, quick!" she commanded Misty while trying to calm him. Ash pushed Pikachu back. Pikachu jumped into Brock's arms rightly confused of Ash's cold reaction.

"Pika-pi?" Pikachu murmured his name sadly.

"Brock, please take Pikachu away," Nurse Joy said.

Brock nodded and walked out of the room with the dejected Pikachu. Misty returned her attention to Ash, who was holding onto Misty as if it were necessary to survive. Misty could hear him breathing heavily. She slowly slid her arms around him. Ash remained agitated, still holding to Misty. He shook slightly.

Misty took her hand and caressed his hair. Her fingers separated his stubborn hair and let them fall freely out of her fingertips. She brought her lips close to his ear gently calming the petrified boy. Ash shut his eyes to the blinding lights and the adrenaline coarsing through his veins. Misty lovingly held him, letting time heal his shakeup. The warmness of their two bodies (warmed by two opposite reasons) coincided. Ash and Misty's heartbeat calmed to a soothing regular cycle and harmonized completely.

"Shhhhh—its okay, Ash. Its okay," she softly whispered into his ear. She felt him ease slowly, and guided him back to his pillow. He nestled his head on it as Misty walked towards Nurse Joy and Brock who had entered the room after a brief absence to the research lab.

"What is it?" she quietly asked. She looked cautiously back, seeing Ash's dilemma had overwhelmed him and had indeed exhausted his energy. Nurse Joy recognized her considerate tone and joined her.

"Misty, I think we may have something" she started.

"What is it?" she promptly asked.

Nurse Joy briefly surveyed the last few pages of Ash's chart, the section containing his electrical brain activity. She finalized her decision with a solid nod. She looked back to Misty and Brock, waiting in anticipation.

"You and Brock mentioned Ash was battling an Alakazam during the accident, correct?"

"Yes," Misty and Brock both replied.

"You two told me right before Ash was shocked by Pikachu; Pikachu was still disoriented by the amnesia attack, correct?"

"Uh, huh" Misty mumbled.

Nurse Joy confidently nodded. "It is my theory, as well as the other doctors the electric shock transmitted the affects of the attack from Pikachu to Ash. Since the complete effects of pokemon psychic attacks on humans are still relatively unknown, it might have caused Ash to completely loose his memory."

Misty groaned uncomfortably. The situation had complicated itself. She looked to Ash, breathing softly in his dreams. "Can you help him?" she worriedly asked.

"There have been articles in medical and pokemon research journals saying when psychic pokemon initiate an amnesia attack, it temporarily stores the ability taken of its opponent in its mind, before giving it back to its opponent after a defined period of time. Now, we have never seen this attack affect on a human before" she warned her "But it stands to reason Ash's self and memories might be in the Alakazam somewhere."

"If we find the Alakazam, could you do something to reverse the process?" Brock logically inquired.

Nurse Joy tilted her head from side to side, tapping her pencil on her teeth. "We don't know for sure, but it would help if the Alakazam were here to better construct a treatment."

"We have to find the trainer and his Alakazam," Misty stated while again looking back to Ash. She frowned. It had been hours after the battle had taken place. The pokemon trainer could have gone in any direction for any amount of time. Hope began to drain from her bones. She shivered.

"I'll set out a call to all the officer Jenny's in the area to search for the trainer matching the description Brock gave me," Nurse Joy said. "But you have to realize, finding a pokemon trainer for a medical cause isn't exactly a high priority."

"What? Ash needs help!" Misty shouted, the room echoing her frustrated tone.

"We're doing everything we possibly can," Nurse Joy assured her.

"I'm going to help," Brock added. "I can't just sit her idly while Ash is like this."

"Fine," Nurse Joy agreed.

"And what should I do?" Misty anxiously asked.

Nurse Joy turned to exit the room. Brock followed her out the door. "The best thing you can do," Nurse Joy replied, "Is to keep him calm, assure him things are going to be okay."

Misty watched Nurse Joy leave the room. The echo of her shoes squeaked and squeaked down the sticky hallway until they finally faded.

A small tear slid from Misty's cheek, "Is it going to be?"

Brock looked at Misty before exiting the room. He took his backpack and shoved it on. Before he left Misty stopped him.

"Brock, take Pikachu with you. He's still shaken up, and Ash has already a lot to deal with."

"Yeah," he agreed. We won't be long. Don't worry everything will be okay," he said before exiting the door.

Misty walked solemnly back to the chair beside Ash. 'Everything will be okay,' she furiously repeated the words in her mind. She wished people would stop telling her that. The repetition of those words lost their initial meaning. The mere fact people had to constantly remind her that just emphasized to her the reality of the situation. It told her things weren't okay, people were in denial or telling her false hope. Hope and optimism did indeed shatter within her heart. Everything wasn't going to be okay, not when Ash is like this. She grew angry, angry at herself for being so weak and pitiful. She longed to see Ash back to his former self and at the very least to be okay. She sunk her forehead in her knees, holding herself. Misty whispered her words continuously, softly echoing the slow repeating sounds of the machines recording Ash's frailty—and hers.

"I'm sorry Ash," she whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

continued


	2. name the one found

remember the name  
by – dinobot  
chapter 2 - "name the one found"

"patience comes in bipolar spurts, but faith based on unseen evidence guarantees imminent results and consistency. Who am I to disapprove the truth? Its like you please! shake! blood!" – dai

---

Misty carefully chose her steps navigating the slippery tile of the center. Her trembling hand held a small red rectangular lunch tray. She focused on the food and her grasp, determined to make it to the room. She entered Ash's room, nearly tripping over the entry of the doorway. Ash watched her intently carry the food to him. Ash stared at her blankly as she placed the food down onto his lap.

Ash stared into his tray. A small cube of red stale Jell-O occupied part of the tray in the top right corner. The rest held a carton of chocolate milk, a week old salisbury steak drenched in crimson gravy, and a small salad littered with hard yellow croutons. Ash was famished, but was not nearly as hungry as to eat this. His stomach gave a last small urge to take it before it subsided. Ash looked to Misty, then back to the food, as if saying 'do you really expect me to eat this?' Misty sighed softly and took the food away.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Not quite like Brock's home cooking, is it?"

Ash raised a brow. Misty scorned herself. "Oh right, sorry."

"Its okay," Ash assured her.

"You probably don't know who I am" Misty realized. She placed a hand to her chest, "I'm—"

"—Misty," Ash finished her.

His reaction startled her. "Do you know who—?"

"No—I don't," Ash interrupted her. "But the lady with the white outfit called you Misty."

"Right."

An awkward silence floated unevenly between them. Misty and Ash heard the repetitious beeping of the stainless steel machines. Ash rubbed his arm; he looked at Misty, who was busily occupied with her twitching feet.

"Thank you," he finally said, breaking the silence.

"For what?"

"You calmed me down," he reminded her. "Thank you."

"Your welcome, Ash."

Ash annoyingly shook his head. He gave a deep sigh. "Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked.

"That's who you are. Ash Ketchum."

"Ash," he whispered the name to himself to the first time. The awkward placement of his label uneasily shook him. He did not knowhow to be 'Ash,' or ever remember being Ash for that matter. He did not know how to act 'Ash' or even attempt to portray his apparent identity.

"You had an accident," Misty explained. "You lost your memory in a pokemon battle. Brock and I rushed you here. We've been here ever since it happened."

Ash flipped off his covers, and slid his legs letting them dangle off the side of the bed. Misty and Ash faced each other.

"How long?"

"About a day and a half," Misty answered.

Ash exhaled deeply. He rubbed the back of his head uneasily. He looked into a shiny grey vase on the table next to him. The curvature of the vase distorted his reflection leaving parts of his face shrunken and parts embellished and grossly exaggerated. He sighed softly, unable to bear the fact he did not have a name recognizable to him. Who is Ash? Who is he? Ash looked at Misty sinking lower into his bed.

"Here," Misty said while handing him a red rectangular object.

"What's this?" Ash curiously asked.

"It's your pokemon trainer profile. All trainers have 'em," she explained. "It'll help you remember."

Ash reluctantly took the object. He flipped open the electronic item and gazed into the screen. A small profile of himself appeared, along with the trainers accomplishments, pokemon, activities, and statistics. He scrolled down the screen, looking blankly into the words.

Misty cleared her throat. "You're an Orange League Champion. You've traveled five different regions and territories. You've collected 36 badges, and you are a trainer of 30 loyal pokemon," she retold his accomplishments. Ash's career is indeed an abundant one.

"Look," she pointed to the last line. Ash focused on her finger pointing to the small screen. She let her finger off, leaving a small transparent fingerprint. "90.9 battle victory percentile. That's second only to the great Lance the dragon champion."

Ash shut the screen, and buried the object into the bed sheet. He ran his hands through his hair groaning uncomfortably. "Why can't I remember?" he frustratingly yelled.

Misty's eyes sank. "We discussed this, you had an accident," she reminded him. She walked to him and sat beside the bed. Ash remained agitated, attempting to jog the memories in his head to resurface. Misty placed a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash shook her off abruptly. He did not want her comfort.

"You'll relearn all those things," she explained to him. "Patience. All you need is tim--"

"How do you know that!" Ash strongly rose from the bed. He paced up and down the side of the bed. His steps were chaotic, pounding his bare feet on the dirty tile floor.

"You have to have faith," Misty told him. "Everything is going—" Misty stopped herself. She peered deep into herself. She did not want to further perpetuate the façade of counterfeit hope. She even is currently struggling to keep her calm demeanor in from of him. She subdued her words.

"I think I have an idea," she rose off the bed to meet him.

Ash exhaled uninterested. "What?"

"Nurse Joy said familiar things might help you. And there's nothing you liked doing than pokemon battling," she smiled.

Ash was about to scold her, but paused. Her smile. His lungs stopped functioning for a brief moment, before he could compose himself again. He looked into her fire-lit hair, gorgeous cerulean eyes, and devastating smile. His heart felt faint. He remembered her kindness what he was scared from Pikachu. He reminded himself of the warmth she offered and expressed to him. In fact, her kindness is the only things he could remember. Ash looked to his arms and then down to his hands.They were no longer covered in small bumps or shaking uncontrollably. It was all because of her, because of…

"Misty," he whispered.

"Yes, Ash?" she responded.

He took his hand and softly grazed her floating hair with his dirty fingertips. She blushed. Ash was too busy deciphering why she had such a profound affect on him. He didn't care. All he knew is she did.

He pulled her close to his body and gave have a soft hug. Misty slowly hugged him back.

"I'm safe with you," he whispered into her ear. Misty held him tighter.

"I'm sorry for being so rash," he released her from his arms. "We can try what you said."

Misty nodded, grabbed a few pokeballs laying on the table beside them and headed out the door Ash's following closely behind her.

---

Ash blankly looked into his hand, in it he held a small red and white sphere. He handled the pokeball for the first time, feeling how cold and unncomfortable it made his hand feel. He looked to Misty, who was standing twenty feet away from him. The front lawn of the pokemon center proved to be an ideal battle spot. Ash dug his feet into the ground, and palmed the pokemon encased inside.

"Okay, Ash" she yelled at him, "lets start. We'll go easy."

She took out a pokeball from her backpack and twirled delicately before releasing it. The pokeball opened in midair expelling her chosen pokemon. The energy released from the ball materialized into a Maril. The round blue pokemon smiled, wiggled her buoyant tale and sung its name.

Ash looked at his hand then tossed the ball into the air materializing a Cyndiquil. The pokemon landed on all of his legs, wailing its name igniting its back into a burst of flames.

Misty frowned unevenly. She commanded her pokemon.

"Maril, bubblebeam attack!" She told it.

Maril smiled cheerily and responded. It deeply exhaled and blew a small beam of bubbles barreling down at Cyndaquil. Ash bit his lip.

"Um, fire! Fire the attack," he commanded.

Cyndaquil looked confusingly at his trainer, giving a half real command was not Ash's usual start to a pokemon battle. It bewilderingly squeaked its name to the ignorant Ash. The pause was all it took for the water attack to hit Ash's pokemon. The fire creature squeaked in pain, and fell defeated to the floor. Ash scorned at himself, embarrassed of his weak play.

Misty recalled her pokemon and walked to Ash. He blushed his anger and discomfort.

"It's okay," he told him. "All trainers have to start out from somewhere, eventually you get better, " she consoled him.

"I don't want to do this," he mumbled under his breathe. Misty recalled the battered pokemon and placed the ball in his sweaty palm.

"Try again, you can do it."

Ash looked disgustingly at the ball and dropped it. He frustratingly tore away from the field.

"I said 'I don't want to do this!'" he yelled. Ash left her, storming into the center. Misty looked to the ball, dejected on the floor. She sighed deeply, and looked at the forgotten pokeball left on the floor.

---

Misty entered cautiously into Ash's room. She poked her head to examine the current atmosphere, reasoning it is either calmingly quiet or restraining chaos. The rest of her body timidly entered the room.

She saw Ash, sitting on his bed half covered in his bed sheets. He was reading. Ash fixed himself on the pages of the book welded to his hands. His eyes ran left to right, then back again, turning the page when he had respectively finished it. Misty crept closer. Ash was not one to read books, or much of an intellect at all. The sight of a book near Ash that was not pokemon related is almost bizarre. She sat next to him. He did not move from her entering his presence. Misty coughed suggestively evoking his attention. Ash smirked, folded the page he currently had been interrupted in and turned to her.

"I'm," Misty paused, "sorry, Ash."

Ash furrowed his brow. He set the book beside him.

"Sorry? For what?" he asked.

Misty tediously exhaled. "You know," she twitched her head back and forth. "The battle. You got angry, I'm sorry."

Ash laughed softly, and smiled. He slid off the covers, dangled his feet off the bed to face her. Misty looked to her feet.

"Misty?"

She looked up.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," he started. "It's just—I was frustrated, and angry. My emotions got the better of me. You were only trying to help me. I should be the one to apologize."

Misty sighed softly in relief. She could breathe again. She smiled, compassion and empathy is not one of Ash's primary traits. She looked into his brown chocolate eyes, they were just as sweet.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Ash smiled suggestively opened his book and returned to his pages. Misty looked at him again, then the pages.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"A book," he monotonously responded still engorged in his book. Misty shook her head in frustration and took the book from him.

"Hey!" Ash tried to rip the book back from her, but she placed it just out of her reach. "I was reading that!"

"Reading?" Misty teased. "Ash, you never read anything!"

"Well," he explained "I'm reading this," he sarcastically pointed out.

Misty held the book vertically dropping the pages. She smirked at him, realizing his subtle annoyance and handed him the book back. They both laughed.

"What's it called--the book I mean?"

Ash turned to feature the cover. "It's called '_Man Walks Into A Room'_, by _Nicole Krauss_" he said. He tapped his finger on the paperback cover, "It's good."

"Where did you find it?"

Ash turned a page. "It was in the drawer next to my bed. I found it there."

"What's it about?"

Ash still focused his attention to the pages; she waited patiently for his response.

"Amnesia," he finally answered her.

"Really? Well that's certainly appropriate," she reasoned. "You could never really pick up anything that didn't have to do with pokemon."

Ash sunk his head, for she had reminded his of the void in his life. She realized what she had done and immediately regretted her last comment.

"I'm so—"

"Stop saying that!" he stopped her. "Why do you think everything is your fault?"

Misty looked inwardly; she herself did not know. She breathed uncomfortably to give a structured and truthful response, but only air was given has her reply.

"I, don't—know," she finally said.

"Forget I asked," he dismissed the exposed question.

A few moments of silence floated in the air before she killed it. "You know, Ash. You are going to get your memory back."

Ash dropped the book. He closed his eyes; twitched sorely and slowly turned to her like a soup can open by an electric can opener.

"How do you know that?"

"Well," Misty paused, realizing she didn't have a solid answer to give him. In fact, she did not even know why she told him that. "I guess," she continued "you just have to have faith."

Ash tore away from her, almost revolted at her response. But she continued, she rose from her chair and sat on his bed across from him.

"The memory, the battles, the name, the life. Ash, you'll remember all those things again," she explained.

Ash tore from her response again, holding his head as if it were to explode. He ran his fingers through his thick hair. He pointed at the small device holding his digital pokemon trainer file left on the table beside them.

"Him. He won the Orange League Championship! I, I can't even command my own pokemon in a single battle! I can't!"

Misty remained silent, for she knew what he was saying is true. The void of Ash and the dismembered confused boy sitting in front of her grew larger. She could only attempt to comfort him.

"Like I told you before, you'll relearn all those things again."

Ash sighed. "What if I don't want to?"

Misty was about to mechanically reply, but stopped. She had been so occupied with helping Ash recover his memory she failed to realize if Ash really wanted to. Brock and Nurse Joy still did not even have a cure for him. Ash is still in a fragile state, she didn't want to spend the rest of their time together forcing him into something against his will. She smiled. Ash returned the gesture.

"There are things you can do better though," Misty pointed out to the disgruntled Ash.

Ash sneered at her response, dismissing it quickly. "What can I do better?" he asked her. Misty looked around and picked up the book.

"Well, here look! You never read you always would talk about pokemon; you talk about other things now. I like that about you."

"I like reading!"

"Me too," she smiled. So did Ash.

Ash shook his head, almost disposing of something undesirable in his head. He looked into Misty's mirror-like crystal blue eyes.

"Pokemon battles, traveling, badges, training—I don't want to do that anymore!"

"You don't have to," she finally said. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Misty smiled under her hours of dismay. She cleared Ash's face of his bangs to reveal his gentle face under his black rustled hair. Ash returned the motion and held her hair up. He let it fall from his finger tips.

"I like your hair like this: up" he let the hair fall down again. They both laughed.

"You never talked to me," Misty started. "I like that you do now," she whispered.

Ash looked at her confusingly. "We, we weren't friends?" he asked her.

Misty looked up contemplatively, "We were. Well, not about anything I liked. I mean, I like pokemon and other stuff to that we talked about. But, we never talked about, you know?" Misty trailed off her explanation.

Ash remained patient for the rest of it. Misty smiled.

"Feelings? Real things?" Ash finished her.

"Well," Misty started. "Yeah. I mean, I think I liked you more than you liked me."

"You liked me?"

Misty blushed slightly, and could feel her heart beat racing. Her hands shook slightly against the sheets.

"No, I don't think you did."

"I think you're wrong," Ash told her.

"What?"

Ash laughed softy. "I mean—there's something about you, Misty. I don't know what it is. I quiver for some unknown reason when you look at me. I look away from you timidly when you stare at me, I don't know why. I shake when you're close to me, and I—liked when you held me."

Misty moved a little closer to Ash.

"I did too."

"There's something about you Misty," Ash took his hand and grazed her cheek. Misty closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. She melted in his strong warmth, listening to Ash. "There's something about you that does somethimg to me. I may not remember why, but I know that! If it's anything that's anything that I may remember it's you, and how I feel about you."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

Ash drew closer to her, their foreheads nestled gently on each other, Misty grabbed Ash's hand, and Ash's other remained on her face, wiping away a small tear forming in the corner of her eye and fell from its place.

"I love you, if there's anything I do know it's I love you." Ash whispered to her.

"I love you, too" Misty replied.

Ash leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, and moved slowly around her face, from her forehead to the other side. Misty smiled; the kisses were like magic, there for a brief pleasurable second, then disappearing into nothing. She held Ash's hand tighter. Ash grazed his cheek on hers, loving how compatible they felt together. He finally worked to her lips, delicately kissing her softly. Misty felt rigid at first but then relaxed, almost detaching from her body, letting herself act from her heart. They broke the kiss finally, and looked into each other's eyes softly, communicating only each other in a silence of words.

Ash gestured Misty to move closer to him, and she acknowledged. She climbed into his long strong arms. She felt safe in his embrace, as if in Ash's arms nothing could possibly hurt her, nothing could touch her because he was there and she was there with him.

Ash sighed and held her tight against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, loving how complete and loved she made him feel. The void in his life had disappeared, and it was not filled with understanding, his former life, or knowledge of who he once was. It absorbed into his past, never to bother him again. Misty loved him and that in itself abundantly washed away his instability and anxiety. Misty closed her eyes and compared herself to his steady heartbeat, harmonizing hers with his and smiled before falling asleep.

---

Ash opened his eyes and took his hands rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He paused, and realized Misty wasn't with him. He looked around the room, but he was the only one in it. Ash slowly laid his head back, nestling it against the soft feather pillow. He heard footsteps approaching the room, he creaked his eyes open to see Misty enter the room. He rose from his bed and walked to her.

She blushed, as Ash walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. She did the same. Ash kissed her on the forehead, hearing Misty slightly giggle and sigh from his sweet actions.

"Hey," Ash whispered in her ear.

"Hey," she responded.

Ash looked at Misty's hair, she left it down. He reached in his pocket, took out a small rubber band and held her hair up. He gathered some small strands of hair and put them in a ponytail, he lifted her bangs up off her eyes.

"Keep your hair up. I like it like that." Misty smiled and giggled slightly, kissing him softly on the cheek.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked. "Let's go for a walk, or something," he asked her while snaking in a quick kiss on the cheek. She blushed again.

"Maybe after you're appointment," Misty notified him.

"What?"

"Brock and Nurse Joy are back. They found the trainer with the Alakazam and have run test on your records and the Alakazam and they've devised a treatment for you. Isn't that great!" she excitedly exclaimed.

Misty felt Ash's hold on her withdraw and slid his arms from around her side. Ash looked solemnly at her, and then turned away. His head remained low, as if some unknown pressure could collapse his head alone

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"If I do this," he turned to her. "Will I remember what happened these last few days?"

Misty shook her head and walked closer, bridging the gap between them.

"Nurse Joy says there's always hope," she started. "But it's very unlikely that you'll remember."

Ash stared at her. He caressed her cheek lovingly, bringing out Misty's blush of vermillion. He sighed, and closed his eyes as if working some intense problem in his head. He twitched uncomfortably.

"No," he whispered. "I don't want to go through with it."

"You have to," Misty replied.

"Why!" Ash yelled into the room. His clamor bounced off the walls. "Misty, we're great together. I think this could be a start of something so great, so wonderful! I never want to be separated from you again. I love you, with all my strength!"

"Yeah," she agreed with him. "I know, I love you too."

"Then," he walked up to her held her in his arms again. He was reminded of the origin of his strength: her. "Why do you want me to do this? Why do you want me to go back to the way I was?"

"Because," Misty felt another tear penetrate her surface. "Your pokemon need you, others need you, and the other Ash needs you. And I couldn't claim 'I love you' if I were selfish to want you to stay like this just so we could be together."

They embraced each other again, they held one another with a firm grasp of love. Ash covered the object of his care in his strong arms, protecting her from harm, hurt or pain. An inner glow emitted from her, when their skin touched by friction alone they could share in there affection. Misty relaxed in his embrace. She felt protected, secure and loved. In the boundaries of Ash Ketchum's outstretched arms of compassion, empathy, and love she could finally be accepted, happy and safe.

They broke just enough to peer deep into each other's eyes. A tear rolled off Ash's cheek and off his face.

"If I go back to the way I was, then how will you know how _much I love you_?"

She smiled, and gently kissed him.

"You just told me," she whispered back.

Ash and Misty kissed once more, as Nurse Joy entered the room. Misty held on to Ash's hand, they looked at Nurse Joy.

"Ready?" he asked Ash.

Ash turned to Misty; she nodded to him. Ash paused, nodded and went with Nurse Joy. Before he exited the room he turned to Misty.

"I'll see you after?"

Misty nodded.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Misty watched Ash being led out of the room, down the hall and into the procedure room. She shivered and held herself from the cold she now found herself in. Brock stepped beside her. She hugged him.

"I'm going to miss him so much!" she cried.

Brock nodded. "Me too, me too."

---

Misty waited anxiously in the lobby. The people exited and entered though the pokemon center. The mechanical sliding doors slid open and closed letting people in or allowing them to leave. Misty stayed still, holding the book Ash had read against her heart. She almost tore it apart from the bindings as a product of her nervousness. The book stretched, and wrinkled. Misty realizing what she had done tried to straighten the pages back and bended it back and forth to help it regain its durability.

Ash walked down the hallway, pokemon league hat atop his head, backpack around his shoulders, with Pikachu loyally trotting beside him. Misty abruptly jumped to her feet and met Ash, walking to him timidly.

"Hi, Ash. How are you feeling?"

He smiled crookedly, and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm pretty okay, Nurse Joy said I'm back to my ole' self again."

She smiled under her fallen hair. She was about to ask another question when Ash intervened.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Common, we gotta go to the next gym. Brock's already outside!"

Misty sank. She sighed disappointedly. She handed the book to Ash.

"Here," she said. "This is yours."

Ash looked at the cover, shrugged and handed it back to her. "A book? Common, Misty you know I don't read anything but pokemon."

Before she could weakly reply he laughed to himself and challenged Pikachu to a race out the door. Pikachu happily dashed out the door, with Ash nipping at his heels. Misty sunk her head, wiping a soft tear devastating her face. She sobbed.

Just as Ash was about to cross the threshold, he stopped and turned to her. He walked back and outstretched his hand. She gave him the book. He looked at it again, examining it at all possible angles.

"You know, I might just keep this," he said. He bent down and placed the book in his backpack. He rose and saw Misty staring at him. He looked blankly into her eyes. Ash curiously touched her hair. He lifted the bangs up and let them fall fro his fingertips. He concentrated hard, as if to remember something lost beneath his dense surface.

"You know, I think I like your hair better up," he smiled.

Misty thanked him under her breathe. Ash laughed to himself and shrugged it off rushing out the door almost tripping accross the threshold. Misty smiled to herself, erased the coldness from her arms, exited the center and followed Ash.

end

---

inspiration – "riddles" and "blank"


End file.
